Power steering gears are common in modern vehicles. Typically, one or more rigid shafts connect a vehicle steering wheel to an input shaft of the power steering gear. The rigid shafts must be routed from the vehicle steering wheel to the input shaft of the power steering gear. Routing the rigid shafts between the steering wheel and the steering gear is often difficult, as other vehicle components must not interfere with the shafts.
Some known vehicle steering systems have eliminated the rigid shafts. Such systems are commonly referred to as “steer-by-wire” systems. In steer-by-wire systems, there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering gear. Instead, an assembly associated with the steering wheel sends an electronic signal to an assembly associated with the steering gear. The electronic signal actuates the steering gear. Since steer-by-wire systems have no mechanical connection, routing of the rigid shafts between the steering wheel and the steering gear is avoided. However, with no mechanical connection, steering control of the vehicle is lost if the steer-by-wire system fails.